Untitled
by 8Daisy8
Summary: Maka's been used and abused by Soul, her once-trusted partner and weapon. Her friends can comfort her, but who can really pull her out of this harsh, dark, unsettling world?
1. Prologue

**"Untitled"**

Prologue

I can still remember the first time he hit me. We had been together for over six months, and he had always been faithful, always sober, always there for me. But he had shattered the already cracked surface that our relationship rested on.

Maybe it was my fault...

Every single one of my friends had told me, "No woman should ever be treated as you are." I have many feelings that stirred at this statement. Most of all... regret. If anyone had been there that night, they would have stopped the "injustice." But was it really an "injustice" after all?

Maybe my mouth ran faster than my mouth could catch up. Maybe it was something I said or did. Maybe he was just sick of me. Maybe he had found someone new to love. Someone who didn't run her mouth without thinking. Someone that could do no wrong, a saint, someone better than me.

But when "over six months" progressed into another year, I was desperate, not just worried or careful. I was starving for escape. I cried my bloody, beaten, bruised body to unsatisfying sleep. I knew I would only awake to blood-shot, already red eyes that had been guarding me throughout dark, ever-lasting nights. The smirk would show his evil intentions.

There would be no Romeo for this Juliet.

No Prince Charming for this Cinderella.

No Beast for this Beauty.

Most certainly no petals for this blooming bud.


	2. Be My Escape

**Untitled**

Chapter 1: Be My Escape

I was pushed against the wall in the hallway, the very person I used to love suffocating me. Soul had come home with a large gash on his muscled bicep. I had only followed him to ask what had happened, purely concerned.

"So, are you hurt," I had asked. He didn't answer he proceeded to the living room, forcefully thrusting himself down on the sofa. He sat quietly for several moments, making fists in his lap and gritting his teeth, before grabbing my wrist, startling me, and pulling me to his side on the seat. His arm slithered around my shoulders, chilling the blood in my veins. I sat, quivering and shuddering as Soul leaned his head in the crook of my neck. He groaned something that was almost incoherent. It sounded like, "I love you, Maka," but I couldn't be sure. He hadn't said anything close to that in months. Soul's usual words were "get me a drink" or "I hate you, Maka." I had learned to forget my own name so as not to be broken by the second statement. Forgetfulness, losing yourself, is supposed to be good... isn't it?

Soul stirred a little, moving an upturned hand to my lap. Cautiously, I put my hand in his, receiving another soft stir and a softly tightening grip on my hand. Soul muttered something again, but this time, I was sure of what he said.

"I love you, Maka," he paused, wincing, before begging, "Help me, Maka, please! Help me!"

My eyes began to tear up at the thought of having the old Soul back. He said he love me and he wants me to help him. Help him through his addiction? No, even before he started drinking he'd never ask for help. Maybe I was looking too much into things. I carefully turned my head, so as not to disturb him. But I could still have faith. Gently, I pressed my lips against his forehead, tasting the alcohol sweating out of his body. I did want him to get better. The last I wanted was for this remedy to his stress to last. I think the stress comes from our struggling to pay the rent and still take care of ourselves, although Soul's self-indulgent hobby doesn't support us much. I have refused to give up on him. "I love him." I've always believed in that declaration. I thought I always have... but lately, I'm beginning to doubt anything anymore. Sometimes I get these deep thoughts, about life; why was I born? Do I have a purpose? Usually I would have the answer: "Of course! Soul is my one and only!" I would smile so brightly, something I hardly do anymore. Soul and I shone brilliantly together, although recently we've been more like a solar eclipse. He blocks me out with his darkly lit exterior.

With my lips still pressed against Soul's forehead, these thoughts raced as I cherished his calmness. Before I knew it, tears overflowed onto my hand, clutched in Soul's, and his forehead, gliding down his face. I tried to shake the sobs quivering my body, but to no avail. Why? I still can't answer that question myself.

Soul stirred once again, more conscious, and I closed my eyes, whimpering, ready for punishment. But I opened my eyes to the sound of his voice.

"Maka? You're..." he trailed off, shaking and staring at me with wide eyes. He learched for me and I flinched back. Soul made no point to notice, enveloping me in his warm, strong arms tightly. I stiffened at the long-forgotten gesture.

"You're still here," he whispered. "I thought I had chased you off. I never wanted to hurt you. I promise."

No. This isn't the old Soul. I could feel it in his wavelength. I could hear it in his voice. When I didn't hug him back, Soul pulled away, looking into my eyes.

"Maka, I don't want to lose you." He took my hands in his.

My eyes searched Soul's. I found something bad there. I pulled out of his grasp, backing away from the sofa. I was scared again. Soul had mislead me again. He chuckled darkly, piercing me with his vicious eyes.

"You know I'm notorious for breaking my promises though. Don't you, Maka?" He stood from his place, showing his razor teeth with a fowl grin. "Seriously, Maka, you're such an idiot. So trusting in others. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Didn't your Papa ever teach you not to be so dimwitted?"

Soul's eyes focused on me. As I crept back with cowardess, he advanced on me, trapping me in a corner. He put his left hand firmly on the wall beside my abdomen, changing the other into part of the scythe he truly was, planting it the wall very close to my head, making my eyes go wide. I was visibly shaking at the thought of what he would do to me. What else could this one person take from me? He'd already bruised, cut, and tortured my body, he tormented my soul with empty promises of change, of sanity. He'd even dissected my heart, finding my weaknesses and strengths, damaging it in every way, and then put it back in my body, not even bothering to sew it back together. The only thing left was...

Soul pressed his body hard against mine, resting his forehead, the one that, not so long ago, I had kissed, against my own, never losing that sinful smile. I could see the maddening intentions plaguing his eyes, presenting a whole new inferno for me to endure. He began kissing my collarbone, pulling out the ties holding my pigtails. He clutched my hair, his lips moving to my mouth. Soul transformed his right arm to its original form. It gripped my clothing at my lower back. More fear pulled at the strings of my heart, making me panic. Soul was going to do the hellish deed that every girl lives in terror of. This was it, the thing that would lock me away inside of him forever. I could never leave after this. His hand slowly moved to my abdomen, up my shirt. That was when I realized that I still had a chance. I just had to fight for it.

When Soul pulled away from my mouth, devoured by his tongue, I sucked in a deep breath, gathering all of my courage, and shoved Soul to the ground. I tried to run past him, getting caught when he grabbed my ankle. He maneuvered himself over my face-planted body.

"You didn't think you could get away that easy, did you? Face it, Maka," Soul taunted. "You're mine, and after this..."

He tugged at my skirt.

"You always will be."

_Third-Person P.O.V._

At this point, Maka felt that she could only give in. With Soul on top of her, and with her body's front being towards the floor, she could not put up much of a fight. It was a hopeless, useless, lost cause, fire extinguished by odds against it. Maka's soul had given in, and her innocence was about to be soiled. But even though Maka's soul had been broken, that didn't mean that she was any less smart. Her brain fought. She wriggled underneath of him, grabbing at him to her best ability with her hands, trying to buck him off of her. But this only seemed to excite Soul further.

He bit into Maka's neck, breaking the skin. Maka cried out in pain, pleading for any true sign of salvation. Now came the last resort; breaking him down mentally. She stopped struggling for a moment, turning her head as far as she could manage to meet Soul's eyes.

"Soul," Maka whispered, voice breaking. She heard Soul snort and partially saw his smirk.

"Maka," Soul addressed, encouraging her to continue. She inhaled deeply, hoping, praying, that somehow she would be rescued.

"Why," Maka uttered, silent tears falling. "If you used to love me so much... then why? Why did you start drinking? Why did you stop coming home every night? Do I mean nothing, nothing at all to you?"

Soul was silent for a moment before clenching his teeth, momentarily growling, and swiftly retreating to his feet. Maka was able to turn over to her side, afraid to sit up. The locked eyes for one heart-pounding, ground-shaking minute. In Soul's eyes, Maka Found anger, greed, and yet, overtaking desperation, but also, deep down, grievance and guilt. Soul was shaking. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. He had no real thoughts, not that the thoughts were contrived from some fairy-tale, but Soul had no thoughts that were his own, at least.

"Maka," Soul grunted, his face twisted with disgust. With this, he delivered a brief, harsh kick to Maka's torso, hearing a satisfying crack, wearing a pleased grin. "You are nothing to me-" another kick "-garbage!"

Repeatedly, Soul spit meaningless contortions, delivering violent blows. By this point, Maka's skin was torn on her stomach, bust, twisted, black and purple and yellow. Blood dripped through her torn button-up dress shirt. Maka didn't know how much more she could take without losing consciousness. Now, Soul grabbed Maka's long blonde hair with his menacing fist, pulling her to her knees. In turn, Soul leant down on one knee, g into her weary, blood-shot eyes, adorning her tired, tear-streaked face, which was also accommodated by a broken-skinned, swollen lip. When Soul had forcefully pushed his lips onto Maka's, he bit her to deter any protest. At the time, Maka's mind was frazzled, searching for a way out of the mess.

To any neighbor, Maka's cries of pain and plea were usual. They did their best to ignore it. The first time they called the police, Soul threatened to do worse things to them than he did to Maka. They immediately redialed the police, falsely assuring them that "things that go bump in the night" had spooked them. What else could they do, humans under the threat of a weapon?

Soul now transformed his hand into a scythe once more. He curled it under Maka's chin, moving his lips to Maka's ear.

"Hey, Maka," Soul explored. "Do you wanna know a secret?"

Maka could do nothing but stare dumbly at the wall behind Soul, covered in pictures, precious memories. There was the time Soul, Maka, Black Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid, Liz, and Patty played basketball after defeating Asura.

"You..."

When the whole group went on vacation, playing volleyball on the beach. When Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Kid dressed up for Halloween.

Soul and Maka sharing earbuds to a music player, snuggling, asleep on the grass.

"Are..."

Maka and Soul's first kiss.

"Going to..."

When Soul bought Maka a necklace shaped like a flower for her birthday. She treasured that necklace so much because it reminded her of all the good times with Soul.

"Die."

All of those memories were erased as Soul pulled back his weapon arm. Readying himself, Soul chuckled bitterly.

"Goodbye, Maka," Soul said darkly. "Oh, and in case you didn't already know, I never loved you. Not at all. You... well, you were my tool."

A shadow of Soul's arm scythe pierced Maka's chest at the mention of being used. One time before meeting her fate, Maka smiled.

"Goodbye, Soul."

As he prepared himself for the kill, Soul heard a car, abruptly stopping in front of the apartment. He growled, running to his room's window. He could still get away down the fire escape.

Soon after, the door was broken down, twin pistols aimed inside. Before Maka knew it, Death the Kid was cautiously making his way toward her, checking every blind spot as he walked. He threw one of his pistols in the air and it transformed into Patty. Kid tossed Patty the other gun, Liz, for cover as he went to Maka. Maka was shaking, on her knees, with tears running down her face. Her eyes were still wide at the possibility of what could've happened if help hadn't arrived.

"Maka, what happened? Are you okay?" Kid said this in a calm manner. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Maka jumped, surprised that someone had jolted her out of her thoughts. "Maka, we need to know who did this."

Maka's shoulders were racked with sobs. What would happen to Soul if she told? Would he become an outcast, forbidden to ever enter Death City again? Or worse, what would happen to her? Would Soul hold a grudge, knowing it was her who ratted him out? Would he come to do what he failed to do this night? The possibilities were swirling within her head... and she was scared. No, she couldn't tell. Could she? Surely the city would protect her. But what about all of the humans in the city? Would they be ripped to ribbons just because of Soul's hunger to get to her? No. She wouldn't say a thing about the incident. But if Soul popped up again, there was no telling how much he could get away with when everyone was ignorant to what he did. This was it! The very salvation she had been patient for! But could she take that salvation and make use of it or would people die for a lost cause; protecting her?

"I-I can't!" Maka shouted, face downturned as her bangs cast shadows on her eyes. "He'll come back! He- he'll-"

Kid had heard enough. He undid his shinigami tie, taking off his jacket and placing it on Maka's shoulders. Maka's own white dress shirt had been near completely shredded on account of Soul's beatings. Putting an arm around her shoulders and the other holding her arm, Kid led Maka outside. Patty was pointing the gun to the left, although she was looking this way and that.

"Patty, any sign of any suspects?" Kid muttered, disgusted at what the perpetrator had done. He knew it was Soul. He was the only one who could get to Maka without obstacles in the way. He lived with her, damn it! All of the times when Maka would come to school wearing sunglasses hiding her black eyes, or wearing long pants and sweaters to hide the bruises. Kid was angry now. He was angry at the whole city. How everyone noticed and nobody spoke up. But then again, how could he be angry? That would mean he'd have to be angry with himself too. He never told anyone, but kept a close watch on Maka, making sure she didn't get hurt. If he had had more backup, Soul wouldn't have gotten away. He would've paid a high price for what he had done, Kid would've made sure of that. The first time he noticed that Maka was different, he'd pulled her aside to talk to her.

**-**_Flashback_**-**

_Kid sat in the row behind Maka in every class. One day, Maka came into the room wearing a long-sleeved blue sweater and a pair of darkly shaded sunglasses. Kid saw her pull the teacher aside and talk to him about something that Kid himself could not hear. As Maka sat down in her seat, a miscellaneous student raised their hand to ask why Maka was allowed to wear sunglasses in school. Dr Stein glared at the student, telling them to stay out of other people's issues, lest they be dissected. After class, Kid asked Maka to wait in the hall with him while the other student shuffled along to their next rooms. When they were the only ones left, Kid began to talk._

_"Maka, are you feeling okay?"_

_Maka said nothing but glanced at the floor._

_"Maka, please tell me that you're okay."_

_"I'm fine, Kid." Maka's eyes were still on the white-tiled surface that they stood on. Kid grabbed Maka's shoulders, surprising her._

_"Then please, look me in the eye and take off the glasses."_

_"I-I can't do that, Kid..."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because I don't want you to see me like this," Maka sniffled. Kid could see the tears falling from under the glasses. He reached for them but Maka held them in place._

_"No! You can't!" She cried frantically. _

_"Please, Maka," Kid cooed, brushing the bangs back from her face. "Do you trust me?"_

_"Yes," Maka said hesitantly._

_"Then please allow me to do this. I promise I'll keep it between us." Kid gave a weak smile, worry and expectance in his golden eyes._

_Maka nodded anxiously. Kid reached for the glasses with both hands, gently removing them. But as soon as they were off, Maka dropped to the floor covering her face._

_"Maka..." Kid pondered. He kneeled down to her and placed a hand on her cheek. He could feel the heat from her tears of anguish._

_"No, Kid! I made a mistake!" Maka yelled weakly. "Please don't look at me."_

_"Maka," Kid said sternly. "I'm your friend and I'll be here no matter what. I'll help you past whatever it is you're going through. But first, I need to know what's wrong. Maka, please."_

_"Kid," Maka started, raising her head in the slightest, but not far enough so that Kid could see her eyes. "Do you promise you won't tell?"_

_"Yes," Kid said regretfully. If it was something that Maka tried to hide so bad, then he should at least tell his father. "I promise."_

_Now, Kid took the initiative and raised Maka's face with a hand under her chin. He gasped at what he saw. Maka's right eye was black and blue, yellowing slightly at the edges._

_"Maka! Who-"_

_"You promised you wouldn't tell, right?" Maka stared into his eyes for reassurance. When none came, she latched onto Kid's torso, sobbing painfully hard. Kid hugged her back slowly, tears welling in his eyes._

_"Yes," Kid said, pushing back the pain in his throat. "I promised."_

**-**_Flashback_**-**

Kid walked out of the apartment building with Maka by his side, leaning on him for support. He summoned his skateboard. Since Maka could barely stand as it was, Kid picked her up in his arms and stepped onto his transportation device. By then, Liz and Patty were in human form, awaiting further instruction.

"Liz, Patty, head back to the Gallows," Kid ordered. "I need to take Maka to see my father."

"Yes, Kid," Patty said with a salute, as bubbly and smiley as ever.

"Sure, Kid," Liz answered unenthusiastically. With that, the Thomson sisters headed back to their perfectly symmetrical home.

"Umm... Kid?" The reaper in question looked down at the fragile girl in his arms. She was nuzzled into his chest, which was covered by a loose white dress shirt, similar to Maka's. Kid's eyes were glazed with worry, focusing intently on the equal he had grown to respect. She looked back at him, her emerald eyes glistening with sorrow.

"Thank you, Kid," Maka strained, her voice getting weaker. "But, I'm also sorry that you had to... save me."

Kid looked at her incredulously. Maka Albarn, the great scythe meister, was apologizing for being saved from certain death.

"Maka, he was going to kill you!" Kid reminded her. "Did you want to die?"

Maka and Kid looked each other in the eye for what seemed like forever. Finally, Maka rested her head back on Kid's chest, wrapping her arms around him, feeling his knowing eyes on her and his heart beat steadily drumming in her ear. Then, Maka grabbed Kid's hand, hiding a tint of pink on her cheeks.

"You know, Kid," Maka stated, her voice cracking in frustration. "If... _he_ didn't kill me, I probably would have."

Kid furrowed his eyebrows, crinkling his forehead with disbelief.

"So thank you, Death the Kid, for saving me from myself."

Kid put a hand under her chin to tilt her face up, grabbing her hand also.

"I want you to know, Maka Albarn," Kid spoke, determination and care in his eyes as he wiped her tears away. "You can come to me with any problem that you may have. Especially when your life is on the line. If you ever feel like taking your own life, I want you to talk to me first. Do you understand?"

"Thank you, Kid," Maka's eyes were filling with liquid. In that one moment, Maka finally felt like she could trust someone. She abruptly smothered herself in Kid, wrapping her arms around his waist. At first, Kid went stiff, but soon enough, he slowly wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl, shirt already soaked. Without another word, Kid pulled Maka even closer as his skateboard took off toward the Academy.


	3. The Gift

**Untitled**

**Chapter 2 – The Gift**

Kid reluctantly let go of Maka as they reached their destination. Walking up the stairs to the symmetrically stable school, Kid glanced at the disgruntled meister. She seemed to be staring at her feet as she walked. The Maka Albarn he knew would always look confidently ahead. Where had her spirit, her soul, gone? Where was the determined shining in her eyes? Kid's eyes misted with memories of that girl as they walked down the corridors to the Death Room. He didn't even know Maka had stopped until she spoke and he had to look back to find her.

"Have you…" She started, choosing her words meticulously. "Have you ever had something that you loved so much that… well, nothing else mattered?"

Kid stared back at her for a long while, eyebrows knitted in uneasiness. She was still staring at the floor, eyes dead. There was no manifestation of sunshine whatsoever. He winced uncomfortably. He didn't know how to answer Maka's question because he could not fully grasp the concept of love. He knew about caring and protectiveness. But somehow, he knew those feelings were different. He had read many novels in which there was a spark of romance between two people. But he couldn't be sure if "romance" quite defined "love".

"Kid?" Maka broke his thoughts. "You don't have to-"

"Yes, of course," Kid stated, smiling warmly. "My love… is symmetry!"

Maka gawked at him for a second. Then she burst out laughing, slumping against one of the walls. Kid chuckled, sliding onto the wall next her. He quietly admired her smiling face as her eyes filled with tears of laughter.

"Maka," Kid began when she calmed. He pushed himself off of the wall and positioned himself in front of Maka. A light shade of pink gracing his face, Kid cupped her cheek, noticing a glimmer of diffidence in her eyes. "Did you know? You are perfectly symmetrical."

Their lips were inches apart when Kid sighed, pulling away and turning in the direction they were headed.

"Maka," Kid closed his eyes. "You're vulnerable right now. I don't want to take advantage of that."

"Kid," Maka's voice made Kid's eyes flutter half open. "Thank you. You're always so considerate of other people."

The corner of Kid's lips pulled downward in a bitter frown. _Just__you__…_ He thought.

Kid's childhood had been a bitter one, being the successor of the protector of Death City who was also supposed to help souls, good or evil, pass into the afterlife. But more than the training of a grim reaper, there was the death of the young boy's mother, still innocent to the vices, cruelties, and insufficiency of humanity. His mother's death softened his emotions but hardened his defenses against the downfalls of being close to someone.

"Maka," Kid whispered, melancholy. All of the memories of his sorrowful youth had come flooding back in painful waves. "Let's just go back to the Gallows."

Maka looked at Kid, at his eyes filled with grief that were downcast, almost hidden by his dark bangs.

"But what about your father?" She questioned. The whole reason they had come to the Academy was to report the night's events to Lord Death.

"There are some complications between us right now. It might not be the best for us to converse at the moment." This wasn't entirely untrue. Kid's father had a knack for seeing through his happy façade into the unruly part of him that just wanted to break down and cry and scream. Hell, he wouldn't even care about symmetry. It was Kid's most depressed state.

"Are you alright, Kid?" Maka stepped closer to him, wincing and clenching her fists and teeth at a sharp pain in her abdomen.

Kid's head snapped up and his legs moved almost automatically in her direction. He steadied her on her feet as she hunched over, arms crossed over her stomach.

"Maka!" Kid panicked as Maka lowered to her knees. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Kid's eyes widened at the sound of liquid hitting the floor. When he looked down to find the cause, terror ripped through him like a dull blade; roughly. Maka coughed vehemently and Kid's eyes searched for her face amidst her long bangs. Her pale hand covered her mouth and her eyes were shut in pain. Kid gripped the elbow of the arm that occupied her mouth. He silently convinced her pull her hand away. She revealed pale lips with a thick black substance dripping to its escape. When the young reaper stroked his fingers over the blackness, another liquid met his touch and Kid's lustrous golden eyes sought Maka's darkened green. Silver slid down her face and Kid opened his palm to catch it.

The offspring of suffering splattered in the reaper's hand, surrendering to Kid's gentle kindness. Kid's mind was at war. Want versus need. Life versus death. Kid would have to see his father after all.

Kid stood firmly on his feet, summoning his energy in a purple glow and withdrawing his arms from his sides to levitate forward. The mask of his father appeared on the ground and an image of the reaper in question was called forth.

"Hello, son! How's it hangin'? What's-" Kid interrupted his father, urgency in his voice.

"Father! Maka's badly hurt! I need your help… now!" Lord Death was stunned for a moment, but recovered quickly. While his father babbled with worry in the background, Kid searched for a mirror lividly, hoping to transport his father to the scene of angst; hopefully to relieve the life and death situation.

_Thump._

Kid whipped around viciously to find the languishing scythemeister fully collapsed. He ripped neurotically across the expanse between them. Straddling her whole body, Kid held her face in his hands, supported on his elbows. Her eyes were just barely open. A few moments passed; seeming hours to Kid. Maka's lips, tainted with black blood, formed a small smile.

"Don't worry about me…" Maka's voice was thoughtful and silky when it didn't crack. "Take care of yourself."

Two soft hands contacted the reaper's body; one at his forearm while the other cradled his face, which had gone pale at Maka's pitiful state, blood chilled. His eyes widened at her concern for someone other than herself, in a state of dying.

"You look so…" Drifting off her train of thought, Maka simply stared at the young man. They had known each other even before Kid had become a student at DWMA. Maka had even been at his mother's funeral. Almost nine years ago, considering that they were either seven or eight at the time. When Maka had finally found the scythe partner she had been waiting for, the two had begun to see each other less and less.

But four years ago, Kid joined his father's establishment along with his weapons, Liz and Patty, who Kid saved from the streets. Maka had made other friends, such as Black*Star and Tsubaki. All of them always hung out together. After three years, though, Soul saw that his meister and Lord Death's son's attraction was instantaneous. At first, he thought he should protect his partner from the cruel real world, but then he had begun to feel for her too. Soon after, the meister/weapon pair began getting more intimate. But then…

Breaking Maka from her thoughts, Kid rested his forehead against hers. Extremely close now, Maka could barely focus on Kid's face, but she cherished the warmth of his body; his forehead against her own; her body aware of his hovering above. Taking these thoughts in, Maka closed her eyes.

Almost immediately after, Maka felt drops on her face, coming from above. Kid was crying. Opening her eyes, all Maka could see was Kid's gritted teeth and closed eyes with furrowed eyebrows to match.

"Maka, please," Kid whimpered, his voice rough. "Please don't die… Just… just don't _die_!"

Kid's words echoed deafeningly off the walls of the Academy. Quiet sobbing followed. Then, removing his hands from Maka's face, putting one hand at her back and the other under her legs, Kid carried Maka with him until he reached the wall, which he slid down, cradling Maka in his lap, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Maka had started crying too, the evil thought of seeing Kid for the last time wrestling into her mind. Kid could hear her sobbing softly and squeezed her closer, sweetly brushing her hair with his tense, trembling hand.

"Why are you crying?" He whispered in her ear hoarsely, his breath hot on her neck and cheek.

"No…" Maka shook her head softly. "I can't tell you."

"Maka… don't you remember that day?" Kid looked into her eyes, glancing recollection. "You can come to me and tell me anything."

"I know… but…" Maka's mind felt that if she voiced her premonition, it might happen.

"Hellooo! Kiddo! Maka!" A high-pitched voice found the pair through countless corridors. It could only be one person's; Lord Death.

"Maka, that's my father!" Kid moved her onto the floor, standing swiftly and starting to run down one of the intricate labrynthians. "I'll be back!"

Maka lay on the floor, Lord Death and his son at her side.

"Okay, Maka," Lord Death said in his cheery voice. "I'm going to need you to lie still."

Maka gave a half-hearted nod. But when she felt an unexpected pull at her shirt, she jumped to a sitting position, pulling her arms across her upper body, face reddening.

"F-father?" Kid yelped, his face also red, his body going stiff.

"Just trust me." Lord Death answered in all seriousness.

"O-okay…" Maka lay back down, highly embarrassed.

Lord Death preceded unbuttoning Maka's shirt until her whole stomach was exposed. Then a mysterious blue glow emitted from Lord Death's index finger. But before he started his process, he spoke.

"Kid, hold Maka's hand."

"But w-why?" Kid nearly choked on his own air, his eyes dodging Maka.

"This may hurt."

"Alright." Walking over to Maka's other side, Kid rested on his knees. He held out his hand, trembling nervously, waiting for the moment that her flesh would touch his. "Maka, I'm here. Just squeeze if you have to."

"Thank you, Kid…" Maka, gripping his hand tightly, closed her eyes, anticipating harsh pain.

That's exactly what she got.

The moment Lord Death's candescent finger brushed over the flesh just above her belly button, Maka shrieked loudly. Her scream pierced Kid chillingly, making his skin crawl. Maka gripped Kid's hand so firmly that his circulation began to cut off. Tears were in her eyes and her legs stretched, longing for something solid to kick, a remedy to take the pain away. Her skin was burning and itching, crackling and screaming, shying away from the hot sleekness of the blade that Lord Death's finger seemed to form. Lord Death himself looked worried.

"I guess we'll have to wait until Stein gets here. I contacted him before I came to find you." Lord Death wasn't one to enjoy slicing flesh. But Stein on the other hand… "He is the scienti- uh, err, surgeon."

Maka was sick with pain and worry. Stein was the one who turned their late Professor Sid into a zombie. He was the one who had nearly killed Black*Star, Maka, and Soul on their remedial lesson. He was the crazy professor who loved to dissect helpless animals and humans alike, just to learn what made them tick.

"Speak of the devil," Lord Death announced, sensing Stein's gigantic soul wavelength behind them. He turned to greet the creator of his current Death Scythe. "Hello! Wazzup! How's it going?"

"Hello, everyone," Stein smiled lightly. His eyes crossed Maka, eyeing her exposed skin. "Maka. So… I'll finally be able to put my scalpel in you after all…"

Maka turned a sickly green, fighting the pain on and in her stomach.

"Now, now, Stein," Lord Death intervened. "You know why you're here."

"Yes, yes…" Stein sighed, taking Lord Death's place next to Maka. His finger glowed, much like Lord Death's, but a green color. "Sutures."

Maka's body was sewn to the ground, except the hand Kid was holding. Without warning, Stein picked up where Lord Death left off. He finished the long incision on Maka's stomach. Maka screamed bloody murder until the end. Then, slipping on a pair of surgical gloves kept conveniently in his pocket, Stein opened the cut wider. Kid stared incredulously as this happened. Lord Death grabbed onto part of his soul wavelength, stretching it in front of his face. Then he let out a gust of air, causing a bubble to separate from his soul and float in the nothingness around them. As Stein kept Maka's wound open, Lord Death led the bubble of soul to the opening on Maka's stomach. All of them, even Maka, watched as the bubble melted into something like a liquid, dripping into Maka's body. It glowed a blinding white. Then it was all over and Stein took off his bloodied gloves and started sewing Maka's skin back together.

Kid supported Maka, an arm around her waist, as the pair walked back to the Gallows. Kid was the first to break the silence.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay…"

"You don't feel… different?"

"No. Not really."

Then there was more silence. Maka was the one to shatter it this time.

"What did your father do for me?"

"Well… it's hard to explain… but I guess the best way to say it is… he gave you a molecule of his soul. It was the only way to ensure your survival."

"What? I don't understand…"

"He gave you a molecule of his _soul_, Maka. When Soul was trying to kill you, he must've dealt a few hits your soul." Kid's mind was enraged at the thought of anyone hurting Maka.

Maka's mind recalled Soul's cruel words, how they rendered her almost senseless.

"Maka? We're here."

Maka stumbled forward and leaned back against the giant front door. Kid flinched forward, securing his hands on her waist.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself, Maka! You've been through enough."

It was only then that Kid noticed Maka staring straight into his eyes, her face a light carnation shade. She tore her eyes away to look at his chest, resting her hands against it. His muscles rippled under her tender skin. She looked back into his eyes. They were half-lidded and his face was moving closer, resting his lips against her forehead. He sighed deeply, pulling away.

"Let's go inside…"


	4. Under My Skin

**Untitled**

**Chapter 3: Under My Skin**

_Maka and Kid stood facing each other. The only background was a glowing white light. Although the brightness was blinding, the two lost in its endless expanse were unaffected._

"_My name's Maka," the short, blonde girl said._

"_I know who you are, Maka. You know me as well." Death the Kid stood before her, confused._

"_Oh, I know. I've admired you for a long time, Kid."_

"_Then why are we going through introductions?"_

"_Because its only proper. I've become a new person."_

"_How so?"_

"_I've been deceived in love. But… I think I've also found real love. And so," Maka cupped her hands over her heart and then held them out, in a manner in which you might hold water. "I want you to have this."_

_Kid stepped closer to look into her hands._

"_But…there's nothing there. What am I supposed to take?"_

_Maka looked from her outstretched hands to Kid._

"_Huh? Oh, I see. Its not visible to you because you don't feel it. That's okay," Maka's eyes became tearful. "I can wait for you."_

"_Maka, what am I supposed to see?" Kid asked desperately as Maka began to shrink away and fade into blackness._

Death the Kid woke with a start, fear of what he saw still fresh in his mind. He feared Maka becoming tearful and he feared the fact that he couldn't see what Maka was holding. Well, he was more afraid of _why_ those things were. But more importantly, why did that dream, if that's what that was, appear?

_That contemptable white light. It always evaded her. Maka didn't know exactly what the bright light was, but she had an unbelievable, overwhelming sense of happiness and pure extacy when it neared her. Was it even real? Was it even possible to feel such things after you closed your eyes at night? Such exuberant bliss…_

_There it was again, floating in the darkness. Why was that one entity the source of unavoidable joy in the sea of blackness around her? It beckoned her and she followed unconditionally. After walking for what seemed like eternity, here feet no more tired than when she started, a hand emerged. At first, the light gravitated toward the soft-looking skin. Then the hand enclosed around the light. Anger flooded through Maka as she stormed toward the enveloped light._

"_What do you think you're doing?"_

"_What do you mean?" A soft voice reverberated._

"_You stole my light! I want it back!"_

_Understanding came in the offender's voice. "So it's your light. I was wondering who would let their happiness go so easily."_

_Maka was confused. "You know what the light is? Who are you? How come I've never seen you before and how long have you been here?"_

_At this, soft yellow eyes shone brightly through the darkness. Pale angelic skin highlighted the midnight hair, lines of sanzu glowing._

_He walked up to Maka, taking her hand, palm upwards, in his. Maka noticed his skin was satin and lavender wafted from him._

"_Here," Kid placed the light in Maka's hand, closing her fingers over it. "It's yours to give to whoever you please."_

_Death the Kid smiled down at Maka._

"_I'll just have to wait for that day... and hope that that person is me."_

_He kissed her cheek softly, his hand still enclosed over hers._

Maka's eyes fluttered open slowly, a slight pinkness on her cheeks. Her fingers ghosted over the cheek that…

Maka shot up out of bed. She wasn't at home. A black comforter covered her body and whit sheets cushioned the mattress beneath her. She'd forgotten that Kid had taken her to the Gallows for the night.

Her heart lept when she heard her name being called simultaneous to a knock at the door. The voice was soft but also quite burly. Maka granted the person outside of her door entrance. The door was double, of course, ensuring complete symmetry. Opening both doors inward, Death the Kid appeared with a small smile on his face.

Maka noted the short-sleeve button-up encasing his finely mustled physique. The short sleeves allowed his toned biceps to peek out from underneath. On top of that, his white shirt was casually unbuttoned partially, exposing most of the velvetly plains his chest. But traveling up to his face, his features held worry.

"Maka, are you feeling alright," he questioned as he strode over to the bed. He lifted his hand to Maka's cheek, gently sliding the back of his fingers over it, still flushed from her dream. "You look a bit under the weather."

"Oh, I-I'm fine!" Maka hurriedly tried to untangle her legs from the bed's sheets, her face an even darker shade of rose. One of her feet touched the carpeted floor, but the other still remained snarled in the mass of bedding, pulling her down awkwardly.

Unexpectedly, her body pushed herself and Kid to a horizontal position on the bed. Their faces became so close that they could feel each other's shallow breathing. Maka's hands lay flat on Kid's partially bare chest, her hair, untamed by elastics, splayed out along her back and the wide-eyed boy's torso. They stared into each other's eyes for a long while. But soon after, Maka's insticts kicked in and she jerked back. She didn't get further than an inch or two before Kid grabbed her arms, pulling her back to him silently.

"Maka, please," he whispered. "I know I'm being incredibly selfish by doing this but.."

Just then, the pair heard glasss breaking and frantic beeping. Kid, in one swift motion, pulled both of them to a standing position and launched them across the room just as an explosion completely destroyed the wall with the broken window. Being on the second floor, the view consisted of a rising sun, mostly concealed by clouds, and debris from the explosion had caused half of the room to cave in. The ceiling was nearly non-existant and the bed, once-occupied, now slid to the floor below.

Kid sat against the still-standing wall, Maka encased in his arms. Her eyes were wide as she smothered her face in Kid's bare chest, clutching at his shirt. It had all happened so fast that she was in utter shock. Kid was gasping for breath, having the wind knowcked out of him. The blast from the explosion had helped to propel them across the room, and Kid had maneuvered his body, protecting Maka from impact, his back crashing into the wall.

Maka noticed his breathing and lifted her head with concern brimming in her eyes. She still couldn't speak from the shock of it all, but Kid could read her eyes.

"I'm okay, Maka," he said forcing a smile despite the bruise he could feel forming at his back. He tried to control his breathing, but to no avail. "Are you hurt?"

Maka shook her head, only having a few cuts and bruises. She stood, holding her hand out to Kid. He took her hand, wincing as he stood. Maka exhaled a little as she stepped in closer, taking him by the arm to steady him while still holding his hand. Kid raised his eyes to Maka's and, same as always, the world seemed to stop moving, and as confusing as the definition of love was, everything made perfect sense. And they _almost_ forgot their situation. Just almost.

"Well, well," a voice echoed, startling both of them. "Look at you two lovebirds. So affectionate, you don't even seem to mind an audience!"

The two meisters looked around frenetically. The voice laughed rambuctiously, overwhelming the atmosphere with its loudness.

"Show your face," Kid yelled. He moved Maka behind him as the voice's laugh became almost insane. "Liz! Patty!"

"Don't worry about those two. They're quite comfortable asleep on the couch." The voice had been light, giving the impression of a girl, but now it changed, more masculine. "They were cute, but that girl behind you; Maka, was it? She's cute _and_ has a tasty-looking soul. So tell me, who should I consume first?"

Maka jumped at the mention of her name, clinging to the back of Kid's shirt, peeking around over his shoulder. Kid growled when he felt Maka's grip on him tighten. This person had not only threatened his weapons, like sisters to him, but they had threatened Maka as well.

"Show yourself," Kid shouted again. The voice only responded with a husky chuckle.

"You'll see me soon enough. But for now, let me introduce you to one of my vessels. I quite like this one. I've been using it for… oh, I'd say about six months."

A body materialized in front of them. Maka became tearful, eyes widening, as she stepped out from behind Kid, dropping to her knees. Kid stared in shock at what stood before him. Spiky white hair, blood-red eyes, razor-sharp teeth. Soul.

"Quite impressive, no?"

"What did you do to him," Kid roared. Maka shook her head fervently, hands covering her face, refusing to believe this turn of events.

"Oh, his body? Nothing yet. But once I find a new vessel, I'll scrap this old thing," Soul's mouth moved but the new voice spoke. Soul's tongue flicked out to lick his lips. "But his soul… was devoured long ago."

At this, Maka sobbed loudly, stifling screams.

"You bastard!" Kid charged at Soul's body.

"Kid, no!" Maka screamed, staring at him in horror. Kid stopped abruptly, looking back at Maka. Frustration welled inside of him, furrowing his brows and clenching his teeth.

"Maka, that's not Soul anymore!"

"I know! But I still… I still…"

Maka trailed off, crying softly into her hands. The voice laughed evilly, Soul's body going through the motions. The laugh came to an end with a noise indicating interest.

"You know, now that I get a good look at your soul," the voice chimed at Kid. "You look pretty tasty, reaper boy. And your body is developing nicely. Much stronger than this trashy thing I'm in now. I think I've found my new vessel."

Soul's eyes rolled back in his head, his body, now soulless, fell to the floor. Maka ran to his body, brushing past Kid. His body began disintegrating from his feet, turning to dust, leaving only his clothes. Maka cried, holding his head to her chest until it too disintegrated, leaving Maka with his sweater to cry on.

"Don't worry, reaper," the voice spoke. "I don't plan on taking you yet. Until we meet again."

All tenseness disappeared from the air. The voice's origin was gone. Kid ran to Maka, clutching Soul's sweater, covered with ash, he held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth as she cried silently. After some time, she spoke.

"I couldn't see," she whispered. "I couldn't save him."


	5. Mourning

**Untitled**

Chapter 4: Mourning

The nightmare of that morning seemed to blur into the next day. Maka couldn't stop thinking about one of her closest friends, her weapon. He couldn't be dead. But he was. Why did he have to go the way he did? Maka wondered if he was conscious of the things that the malicious entity had done while in his body. But how long had his soul lasted before being devoured completely?

The burning sensation in her hands brought Maka out of her thoughts. The ceramic mug was filled with black coffee, untouched and still fairly fresh. Maka set the mug down, feeling for the counter in darkness that the day offered before sunrise. The _clink_ of the cylindrical cup on the granite surface was the only sound other than the repetitive ticking of the clock's second hand. Maka traced the rim of the mug with her index finger, which peeked out from the sleeve of the oversized sweater she was wearing. She enjoyed the heat that swirled up and around her finger while alternating sides. It had gotten quite cold out given that Halloween had just gone by and the early month of November brought frost and temperatures that ensured visible breath.

Maka's mind wandered to a year before, when she was wrapped in Soul's arms. They would huddle in each other's warmth under a wool blanket and talk into the late hours of the night while soothing jazz music wafted in the background. Their conversations held expectations. They fantasized about getting married in the expansive meadow next to the academy. All of their friends would smile at their happiness and the fluffy white seeds of flowers would float through the air. They would spend a week exploring Italy, Sweden; anywhere they wanted on the honeymoon. The house they would live in would be built in the middle of their ceremonial field. It would be a humble single-floor house, painted an innocent white.

Soul and Maka would talk of children, and agreed that they both wanted a boy and a girl, no more. They would laugh at the prospect of their blonde little boy studying hard while the snow-haired girl penned the answers on her skin. They dreamed of the days that they would grow old together in that house, sharing memories of younger years where they weren't so frail and forgetful, where they made stupid decisions. They would wither away in each other's arms, a beautiful life together ended by content death.

Tears subconsciously swerved through the creases of Maka's scrunched face, holding back sobs as the clock continued it's droning _ticking_ and _tocking_, her only company. Her standing position soon gave way as Maka's knees became weak and she sunk to the ground, covering her mouth with cotton-layered hands from her brown pullover. She trembled as the reality that Soul was gone hit her, combining with the coolness of the floor. Now that Soul was gone, who would share these thoughts with her? Where would she be in the future? She couldn't bear the thought of being alone her whole life, but she also didn't want to feel as if she'd betrayed Soul.

A light clicked on over the stairs and the sound of bare feet hitting the floor closed in on the dark room. Maka tried to compose herself quickly, rising to her feet and turning towards the counter and away from the approaching person. She wiped at her face furiously with the soft sleeves until her face felt raw. A small yawn came from behind her followed by a quiet, quick, intake of breath.

"Maka?" Liz's voice was soft. "What are you doing up this early?" Maka cupped her hands around the now cool cup in front of her and turned to face the groggy girl. A small smile appeared, trying to convince Liz that there was nothing to worry about. "Liz. I could ask you the same." Maka's voice wavered in and out, but it could be taken as the result of just waking up.

"I asked first." Liz's face contorted with suspicion, scrutinizing the redness in Maka's cheeks. Maka's smile disappeared and her eyes darted tot he floor. She moved into a stool seated by the island counter. Liz followed her example and sat across her, leaning forward on her arms. Maka stared at the small ripples moving around in the black liquid. Liz soon grew tired of the unanswered question.

"So... Why exactly are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep." Maka said monotonously.

"Is it about Soul? Maka, I know its been hard on you, but you can't keep killing yourself like this." Liz eyed the purple-ish circles forming under Maka's lower lashes. It had been three days since the night Lord Death sacrificed a small piece of his soul and since then, Maka had only slept five hours. When she did sleep, she was plagued by frivolously adjusted nightmares, some not even pertaining to the heavy loss of Soul. Some were about her other friends dying. Maka remembered a small portion of a dream she had about Kid. He had been taken over by the menacing voice and started attacking their friends, family, and soon she and Kid were the only ones left in Death City.

Sometime during the sequence of haphazardly scattered terrors, the subject wandered to her mother and father. It was like reliving the heartache of their divorce over again, but more morbid. Her father's scythe arm would stab her mother while the latter brandished a kitchen knife. It would continue this way for the remainder of slumber.

The thought of those nightmares brought tears to Maka's eyes. She quickly reached up and wiped them away. Liz's eyebrows raised in a sorrowful way, her blue eyes shimmering with pity. She placed her manicured hand over her friend's soft one.

"Maka, I can't guide you through this, and I doubt any of our friends can," Baby blue blazed into cloudy green. "This is something you'll have to get through on your own, Maka. While I might not be able to lend a hand in this situation, come to me if you need to vent. You can _trust_ me, Maka, I promise."

"Thank you, Liz." Maka cracked a smile that was more believing than before, letting her supportive companion know that she had put faith in her. The older pistol smiled back briefly before stretching her arms up and yawning.

"Well, I'm beat! Try to get some sleep, Maka." Liz quickly padded up the stairs. Seeing as Maka's guest room had been destroyed, she took to the large sofa, its comfy cotton fabric easing her into a hazy half-sleep. The dark room was silent as Maka lay flat on her back.

Then, a dim, light orange lit the length of Maka's body. A nagging static sound brought Maka to, and her eyes opened wider while her body was still. The static cleared into a high, chipper voice.

"Maka! I'm your soul!" On closer inspection, the soul had two pigtails and a determined expression. Maka slowly sat up and let her hands rest just out of reach of the orange sphere, as if holding it by an invisible layer.

"I'm your soul, Maka! I'm your soul, Maka!" It sang. Suddenly the voice changed to the horrific voice that had possessed Soul. "I'm your soul, Maka!"

The soul shed the orange shell for a liquid-looking, black appearance. Maka let out a loud shriek, unable to move. She looked down at her hands and found that they were turning to ash, fluttering down on the blanket she was under. The incineration continued until it reached her neck.

Maka screamed, sitting up in a cold sweat on the white couch, touching her hands, arms and chest to confirm she was still in one piece. She panted rapidly until her breathing calmed. Maka let out a sigh.

"I guess I won't be able to get any sleep after all."

As Maka struggled to shake off the unpleasantry, she hear footsteps once again hurry down the stairs. When they rounded the corner, Kid appeared, looking much like he did every day. His hair was a perfect ebony, the whit Sanzu lines standing out like a blinding fluorescent light in the pitch black night. His clothes were a formal black pair of slacks that fell loosely around his glossy dress shoes. The black was bordered by the crisp white of his shirt, the top two buttons undone. Half of the front of his shirt was untucked, leaving the assumption that he had been interrupted while dressing.

"Are you alright, Maka?" He asked, his eyebrows arched and raised with concern. "I heard you scream. What's going on?"

Maka blinked dumbly. Had she screamed? It all seemed like a giant haze. "Oh, I'm fine." She spoke unsurely. Even if her voice had any sense of uncertainty, Kid must've believed her words. He smiled lightly.

"Well, that's good," Kid spoke while working the rest of his shirt into the tightness of his belt. "I was afraid that that...thing had come back.

"Speaking of that _thing_, " Maka spoke with disgust, standing from the couch and walking up to Kid. "do we even have any idea what it is or where it's come from?"

"Not yet." Kid spoke, his eyes shifting to the right wearily before coming back to Maka. "But I'm going to look into it today. Would you like to accompany me?"

"How exactly are you going about _looking into it_?" Maka looked at Kid with wavering eyes. "I don't want you going after that thing and getting yourself killed."

Kid let out a small chuckle. "No, nothing like that. At least, not yet."

"So you are planning to go after it eventually?" Maka frowned into the question.

"Don't worry, Maka. If I do track it down, I won't be going alone." Kid assured her with a small grin. "My father will probably send other meisters along with me."

Maka contemplated this, weighing possibilities. She didn't want anyone else to fall victim to the mysterious perpetrator. After a few moments, she let out a small sigh.

"So where did you say you were going to look into things?"

"Actually, I'm going to see Professor Stein. I'm sure he'll have something to give us if we explain what that thing can do." Kid's eyes gave Maka a once-over. A small blush crawled onto his cheeks and he averted his sight. "If you're coming with me, you might want to put on something more...suitable."

Maka raised her eyebrows, looking down at herself. Her cheeks also tinted a slight red when she saw her attire. She had forgotten the only things she had grabbed from her apartment were a pair of shorts, a tank top, and the oversized sweater. The shorts came a little shorter than her usual skirt did. You could only see about two inches of the shorts though, because the brown sweater covered most of her body.

"Y-yeah..." Maka murmured. "I'll go see if I can borrow some clothes from the girls."

After about half an hour of sifting through the duo's excessive collection of clothes, Liz, Patty, and Maka were finally satisfied with the clothes they had picked out. Maka's outfit consisted of black skinny jeans, partially covered by nearly knee-high black boots with an inch of heel. She wore a thin white tank top covered by a long-sleeved, mint green sweater, her dark blonde hair cascading down her back, just below her shoulders. Not being used to wearing these new clothes, Maka nervously kept pulling the sleeves of the sweater lower over her hands. All three girls stood in front of the mirror, Maka between the sisters, so that she could get a good view of herself. Liz smiled cheerfully at her work.

"Maka, you look so pretty!" Patty drawled in her high voice, giving a small giggle at the end. "Just wait until Kid-"

Liz quickly put Patty in a headlock, covering her mouth. She laughed nervously. "What Patty means to say is that you better go catch up with Kid before he leaves without you! Heh...Heheh..."

Maka gave the pair a quizzical look but traversed down the stairs anyway. She walked past the kitchen and into the living room, finding Kid adjusting the couch, smoothing out the cushions of the fabric. Maka stood watching him, almost entranced by how focused he was. When he was finally satisfied with his progress, he stood up straight, his hands on his hips and smiled proudly, looking down at the couch as if it were a trophy that he'd just finished polishing. Maka couldn't help but giggle at the sight, bringing her hands in front of her mouth to muffle the noise. Kid perked up when he heard Maka's laughter. He looked over at her questioningly. Maka turned a soft red.

"What's so funny?" Kid asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"O-oh. It's nothing." Maka stuttered, relishing the look on his face in her memory. "Are you ready to go?"

"I suppose." Kid eyed the sofa one last time before turning to walk towards the front door. He opened the large wooden door with a soft click, gesturing for Maka to walk outside. "After you."

"Thank you." Maka said politely, walking just outside the doorframe to wait for Kid. Her eyes wandered around the front yard. It was a sort of garden. There were bushels of daisies on either side of the walkway to the fence. She smiled slightly, admiring her favorite flowers. She looked back at the door, finding it closed. She whispered to herself. "Where did he...?"

"You like daisies?" A voice said close to her ear. Maka turned her head the opposite direction to find Kid at a close proximity, looking at her intently. His eyes glistened, even in the small light from the gray sky. Maka instinctively pulled her hands, balled into nervous fists, up to her chest, trying to compress herself. She nodded simply, her cheeks tinting once again as her heart sped up. Maka hoped Kid couldn't hear how loud it was beating. Kid walked to either side of the garden, picking a daisy from each. Pushing Maka's hair around her ears, he tucked one daisy behind her left ear, then her right. "There. Now you look as pretty as a flower. While staying perfectly symmetrical of course."

"Maka? Are you okay? You look pretty flushed." Kid swept his hand under her bangs to feel her forehead. Maka's heart began to melt it was beating so fast. She felt the extreme heat rush to her cheeks. "Do you want to stay here while I go out?"

"No!" Maka squeaked quickly, regretting it as soon it left her mouth. "I'll go with you."

"If you're sure. Let's go." Kid took one her hands in his and pulled her along with him. Once they were out of the white fence, leaving it to swing closed behind them, Kid remarked, "Those daisies really do compliment you."

"Thank you." Maka said quietly, ducking her head when he flashed her a smile. Then it registered in her mind that he was still holding her hand. Maka's face became even redder. Why was she so embarrassed with all of these sweet remarks? It was just Kid. He was always this nice, wasn't he? But he'd never held her hand before, let alone any girl's hand. "Hey, Kid? Why are you holding my hand?"

"Do you not like it? Because I can stop if you want-" He started to let go Maka's hand, but Maka grabbed it back even tighter.

"No!" Kid's eyebrows raised in surprise, a small tint of pink on his face. "T-this is nice." Maka said embarrassedly. What had come over her just now? Kid smiled knowingly as they walked closer and closer to the academy. Maka kept her eyes on her walking feet, glancing over at their joined hands a few times.

Upon arriving at the academy, Kid stopped when he reached the top of the steps. Maka followed suit, still grasping his hand. She examined his face, a smile gracing it, and followed his line of sight. He was staring at the DWMA building. What was he doing? She lightly tapped his shoulder with her free hand, breaking his trance, and immediately felt bad for bringing him out of his peaceful state.

"Umm... I'm sorry to interrupt, but what are you doing?" Maka asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend him in any way.

Kid simply smiled back at her and returned his gaze to the building in front of them. "My father's school is simply perfect, don't you think?"

Maka hummed thoughtfully, taking in the sight of the academy that she saw almost every day. Sure, it was huge, but she didn't see anything particularly special about it. Kid glanced over at her, taking in her confused expression. He let go of her hand to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, immediately feeling her shoulders tense up.

"Maka, it's just me. Relax." After a moment, Maka's shoulders relaxed, her face graced with pink at Kid's touch, even if it was only through her clothes. "Now close your eyes." Maka blushed harder when she felt Kid's lips brush against her ear as he talked, but followed his instructions. When Kid was sure she had closed her eyes, he placed his hands over her eyes, his mouth still positioned by her ear. Maka reached up to touch his hands in a questioning way.

"Just trust me, Maka." he whispered sweetly. Maka lowered her hands to play with the hem of her sweater. "Now picture the most beautiful place you know."

Maka thought of a field filled with flowers, blue skies, and sunlight streaming in through the outlines of the surrounding trees. She pictured herself laying down in the warm greenery. Then her mind conjured up the image of Kid with his shirt half unbuttoned laying next to her. Her face became heated and she hoped Kid didn't say anything.

"Now open your eyes." Kid commanded, removing his hands to stand beside Maka again, staring at her expectantly. "Well?"

"How did you-? It's gorgeous! It wasn't like this before, was it?" Maka turned to Kid, amazed. The academy had gone from the same plain academy that she saw every day to a monument of glowing wonder. Kid took hold of her hand, leaning in again to whisper in her ear, "It's a trick my mom taught me. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it works."

Maka thought about this for a moment. Kid never talked about his mother. "Kid?" Said person pulled his face back to glance at Maka. "What happened to your mother? You never talk about her."

Kid visibly stiffened, squeezing Maka's hand tighter. "No one really knows what happened to my mother. One day, she just went missing and eventually she was assumed dead."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Maka's eyes gleamed with regret. She tugged on Kid's hand softly. "Come on. Let's go see your father now."


	6. Host in the Making

**Untitled**

**Chapter 5: Host in the Making**

The scenery around them was just as Maka had imagined; well, besides the half unbuttoned shirt donned by Kid. Everything was glowing, magical. The academy had a shine to it that it had never had before. It was beautiful. Their interlocked hands held much warmth and Kid took notice of this, his face becoming a light pink. They stood together, admiring the view and becoming equally embarrassed, too busy with the latter to go see Lord Death quite yet.

"Maka," Kid started. "What does this mean…in terms of us, exactly?

Maka glanced over to him and found herself racing for an answer, anything to keep this contact possible. "I…erm…" But she found herself unable to find one other than, "Well, you're really special to me, Kid… And I hope that I may be… special to… you…"

Kid let go of her hand and turned his body to face her, taking hold of her shoulders and making her do the same. "Maka, you are strong and beautiful. You have enough ambition to strengthen the resolve of everyone around you!" He closed his eyes, shaking his head at the ground sadly. Maka felt her stomach begin to churn, sensing the gloomy mood. "I am nothing like you. You need someone equally as strong to hold you up when you feel like you're starting to fall. I'm your friend, and I always will be for as long as you'll have me."

"Kid, just because I just went through some trauma does not mean that I am not capable of loving again or being in a relationship!" she loudly stated as to present her annoyance clearly.

"Maka, like I keep saying, I _don't_ want to take advantage of your situation. You're _vulnerable_ and-"

"Stop it! Don't say that!" Maka violently tore herself from his gentle hold. Every time he harped the same thing at her, it nearly drove her insane. Her hands balled into tight fists, shaking with desperation. "You know as well as I do that we both want to be more than this! That we should be _together_!"

Maka glared at him with agitation, waiting for a reply. Kid fell silent for a moment, his awe written plainly on his face. Then his anger emerged as well. He grit his teeth, his hands making fists as well, as his eyes started filling with unshed tears. "SHUT UP, MAKA!" Maka's expression changed rapidly to one of sad shock, blinking back tears of her own as her hands loosened their grip. "Do you know how long I've held back because _you_ asked me to?! Because of your love for that idiotic asshole, _Soul_! I've loved you for such a long time and I've had to keep it all held in for _you_! Was that wrong of me to do?! You asked me to keep your secret and I fucking did! Never once questioned you or betrayed you!" Kid's tears began to fall recklessly. The glow of the scenery around them seemed to dim significantly. Maka shuffled back with her hands squeezed together over her heart, her tears giving no leeway, eyes wide. "Do you really think it's fair of you to ask that I give you everything all at once?! Bend to your every will?! _HAVEN'T I ALREADY_?!"

Maka now openly sobbed, her eyes blinded by liquid sadness. Kid's anger subsided, being brought out of the red filter in front of his eyes and seeing Maka in a miserable state for the first time. His eyes wide, he hesitantly reached toward her, her sobs still painful in the background. She flinched backwards yelling, "_No! Don't touch me!_"

She quickly ran toward the descending stairs of the academy, stumbling down them despite her marred vision. Maka didn't stop running even after she reached the bottom, leaving a remorseful Kid to stare guiltily after her. Maka fled back to the Gallows mansion, where Liz and Patty were strewn about the living room furniture gazing unenthusiastically at the television. Upon Maka's entrance, both sisters jumped to their feet at the teary eyes that looked at them, running to comfort Maka. Her sobs were still equally as loud as when they started and she couldn't catch her breath. When she felt as though she might collapse, Liz guided her to the couch. Immediately, Maka fell to a lying position on her stomach, crying face-down onto the couch. Liz stroked her hair as a gesture that everything would be okay, regardless of if that was true or not. Patty didn't maintain much interest and quickly fell to the carpet in front of the couch and started clicking her feet together as she watched the television again.

"Maka," Liz cooed. "What happened?"

Maka's sobbing softened only slightly as she turned her head to look at Liz with a reddened face and eyes graced with puffiness, bloodshot. "K-Kid…he…"

"Kid made you cry like this?" Liz's question was firm with both anger and surprise. She had never known her meister to be a heartbreaker or a bad person in any way. He was also nothing but courteous when dealing with disheartening or stressful issues. So what had made him go so out of his mind that he would make the girl that he cared for deeply cry her heart out?

"Y-yes… But it was probably my fault as well…" Maka sniffled, the admittance of her wrong making her feel even worse. "Don't blame Kid completely, Liz."

"Please tell me what happened, Maka. I'd be able to get a better grip on the situation and try to help you out." Liz took a moment to glance over at Patty who was clicking her feet annoyingly. "Patty, why don't you go upstairs and find something to do?"

Patty made a pouted face but obeyed, dragging her feet as she walked up the stairs. Maka had sat up and hung her head, eyes aimed at her lap sadly when Liz turned her attention back. Liz softly patted Maka's leg. "I'll go make us something to eat. You just wait there, 'kay?" She gave a charming wink jokingly as she stood and headed toward the kitchen.

xxx~xxx

When he could no longer see Maka's retreating form, Kid dropped to his knees, hands planted firmly on the ground as he stared at the dusty surface, eyes still wide. He began whispering to himself.

"No, wait… It wasn't supposed to be like this…" He started shaking, yelling into the air, "Maka, come back!"

Why had he said all of those things to her? It was like he couldn't control himself. He had never approached a situation like that before, with such anger. It was almost as if something was controlling his mind.

Kid gasped, realizing that the thought sounded just a little bit believable; familiar. "I have to talk to dad!" Kid rose, swiping at the dirt on his pants, and turned toward the academy at a sprint.

xxx~xxx

Liz returned to Maka with two fancy glasses filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with strawberries and whipped cream. She handed one to the shorter blonde girl and sat down on the couch, setting her own glass and two spoons on the glass coffee table in front of them. "Don't tell Patty, okay?" Liz raised her index finger to her lips, a small smiling gracing them. "She'll throw a fit."

Maka smiled slightly, letting a small giggle slip through her lips. "Okay," she said softly. Liz beamed in return, happy that her newly close friend had shown something other than sadness.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Have at it!" Maka took a small spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, letting a noise of delight taint the air. She told Liz between swirling the ice cream in her mouth with her tongue, "This…is so…good!"

"Homemade, too!" Liz stuck out her tongue, lifting her own spoon from the table to eat her own. "Just store-bought ice cream and some frozen strawberries."

The girls stared mindlessly at the television as they ate the frozen treat, lifting their spirits. When they had finished, they took their emptied glasses to the sink and washed them together.

"So, Maka," Liz started, her hair tied into a bun as she wiped at her dirty dish. "Now that you're feeling better, do you think you can tell me what happened between you and Kid?"

Maka was hesitant, scrubbing at her own glass. "I guess so…" Upon finishing, they both set their glasses on the dish-drying rack and sat at the island in the kitchen, the high stools leaving their feet dangling above the floor. "Kid and I were standing at the entrance of the academy and we stopped for a minute. Then he turned to me and gave me the whole speech about being too vulnerable to be in another relationship yet and how we should just stay friends. I got kind of upset and shouted at him…so I suppose I started all of this bitterness…"

"Kid is a very forgiving person. I'm sure you'll be fine." Liz smiled, urging her to go on.

"So then he just kind of stood there, staring at me like I had just…shot him." Maka winced as she said the last two words. "And then he just exploded. He yelled at me so loud I thought I would go deaf. I guess it just goes to show how upset I made him."

"What did he say to you?"

"He… He said that he had given up everything for me and completely bowed to my will, to be honest. And that makes me feel even worse about this whole situation because I have a feeling that that's the truth, as exaggerated as that sounds. But in the end I just ran away…like a child afraid of getting punished for being bad…"

Liz rested her chin on her fist, leaning her elbow on the counter. "Kid has never been that good when dealing with his emotions. So when he experiences them I guess they're all kind of…amplified. Whatever you and I may feel, Kid could feel five times more intense. That's why his OCD is so extreme; the inability to keep everything symmetrical all the time is completely impossible and that alone drives him crazy. Imagine the one thing you want in life; you're unable to reach it and then what? What else is there?" Liz's eyes glistened with the sympathy she felt. "So, there's always that frustration of not being able to attain his goal in life that could magnify the rest of his feelings as well."

Maka let her words sink in. "But he's never been like that with me before. Nothing but sweet and caring. Maybe a little dramatic sometimes but never that bad."

"Well I don't know exactly how bad you think it was, but it's probably nothing Patty and I haven't seen before. If you really have feelings for him, you'll get used to it." Liz smiled softly, her eyebrows arched in a concerned way.

"But how can you know that, Liz?" Maka's hands clenched on the table. Her gut was telling her there was no way that that was a normal reaction for Kid. "He was…scary! It was like he'd lost his mind, like he didn't know who I was; some stranger trying to take away his rights, even! It was almost like-"

Maka's eyes widened, her hands loosening their grip. "What is it, Maka?" Liz became startled at the look that Maka had taken on.

"It's almost like what happened to Soul."

xxx~xxx

Kid sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the low table, his father sitting opposite him. They had been discussing details for quite a while.

"That is interesting Kiddo." Lord Death rubbed his chin with thought. "You think that the same that happened to Soul is now happening to you?"

"Yes." Kid's eyes were steel with confidence. "I found myself unable to stop myself from performing those actions. I would never yell at Maka. I would never hurt her like that."

"Hmm." His father's eyes, or rather the eye-holes in his mask, became worried. "Perhaps it was just your…umm…" Lord Death's face became reddened. "H-hormones."

"W-what?" Kid was outraged and embarrassed. His father couldn't just dismiss this as a simple phase due to teenage angst. "No, of course not! I know what I was feeling and believe me, it wasn't something that made me want to cry or have sex or anything like that!" Kid was surprised at himself, his face turning red. Did he just interject the subject of sex? "I-I mean, that's what hormones do, right? Anyway, the thoughts weren't my own! It was like watching myself doing something from a third-person perspective!"

"W-well…if you say so Kiddo."

"By the way, father, do we have any new information on the… the thing that overtook Soul?"

"Yes, actually, we do." Stein's voice sounded from the doorway. Both father and son turned their attention to him. "He goes by the name Ravageous. I'm using 'he' lightly though because we have no idea of his gender. The obvious connection between his name and what he does coming from the root word in his name; ravage. He completely takes control of his victims, 'ravaging' their souls before devouring them completely."

Stein sauntered over to the pair, taking a seat by one of the free sides of the table.

"What exactly do you mean when you say 'ravaging their souls'?" Kid inquired.

"Simple. He wears down on their emotions, their physical strengths, takes advantage of their weaknesses, and then simply eats their souls."

"Well…that doesn't sound like anything we haven't heard before," Lord Death spoke.

"That's what I thought at first, too." Stein pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit it, taking a long breath and blowing the smoke out. "But then I realized that if that were the case, we probably would've already had the situation under control. So I investigated further and found some interesting information. It seems that Ravageous doesn't have a physical form; merely an entity possessing…possession abilities in addition to his soul-sucking. I haven't come across many techniques that are useful against this type of enemy except-"

"Maka," Kid cut in. "Her anti-demon wavelength is the ideal weapon against this enemy. Except…"

"Except she doesn't have a weapon anymore," Lord Death finished. "This could be problematic."


End file.
